Itsy Bitsy

Spiders, you either hate them or love them. They are the largest order of arachnids, and there are about 48,200 spider species worldwide. You might think there is nothing good about spiders, but there is acually some positive things that is positive. They feed on insects such as roaches, mosquitoes, flies, moths and much more, so they clean up our homes from insects. Spiders venom can be used as medicine, and spiders silk can be used to make parachutes and bullet proof vests. So you see, you should cuddle more with spiders from now on, they are not as bad as you might think. When it comes to spiders in films, we have plenty of titles to choose between. We have to mention a real classic to begin with, the 1955 cult movie known as Tarantula! from director Jack Arnold. If you love insect horror films, then Tarantula! is one of those films you should see. The next film i have to mention, is probably one of the best in this genre. I am of course thinking about the black comedy horror classic, known as Archnophobia. Released in 1990 from director Frank Marshall, this is a really good choice, if you love insect horror films, mixed with some really funny comedy scenes. The cast of Archnophobia is really good, where you have legendary actors such as Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, Julian Sands, Peter Jason and many more. The cinematography from Mikael Salomon ( who also made the cinematography for the James Cameron classic The Abyss ) looks really good. If you have not seen Archnophobia, you must check it out on DVD or Blu Ray. Earlier this autumn i heard about a new spider horror film, known as Itsy Bitsy. How can anyone say no to this ? Is this one of the better insect horror films in recent years, or is Itsy Bitsy a B movie that will most likely be forgotten ?

In an old house in the countryside, old man Walter Clark ( Bruce Davidson ) have been collecting historical artifacts from all over the world. Since he no longer can take care of himself, he needs help at his home from a caregiver. Kara Spencer ( Elizabeth Roberts ) is hired to be Walter´s new caregiver, and she moves into his guest house with her kids Jesse Spencer ( Armon Darbo ) and Cambria Spencer ( Chloe Perrin ). Kara is suffering with memories from a car crash, that forces her to use drugs to sleep anything, while her son Jesse notice that his mother is having a hard time taking care of him and his younger sister. Kara Begins work and focus on making a good impact. But when a man destroys one of Walter´s old artifacts, Kara is worried this was a break in. Walter try to calm her down, that this is nothing to worry about. Inside this ancient artifact, a very unique deadly spider wakes up.....

It would have been very easy just to make a creature effect horror film, with a giant spider attacking. But the good news is that Itsy Bitsy actually has a plot that makes sense, and we also have some good characters as well. Let´s begin with actress Elizabeth Roberts ( who fans of TV series Days Of Our Lives might remember as the character Marge Bernadi ) who plays Kara Spencer. There is especially one thing that makes her character interesting, the pain she suffers from a car accident, and she manage to bring out this pain through her acting. The next actor i have to mention is legendary actor Bruce Davidson ( who i especially remember from the X-Men films as character Senator Kelly ), it is so nice to see him still make films and i do enjoy his character here, known as Waler Clark. Teen actor Arman Darbo gives a performance that fits so well with his character Jesse Spencer, who is having personal issues and frustrated with his mother´s problems. Now, let´s get into the most positive in this film. The creepy horror atmosphere with the spider, works better than i expected. If you are expecting CGI effects and bad looking spiders, i am pleased to say this film uses practical effects. And this is of course something i really appreciate. I also enjoy the spider attack scenes, they give you some fun moments that reminds me of classic films in this genre. The only negative i can say, is that i would have liked to see at least a few more attacks by a spider. Other than that, i still feel that Itsy Bitsy is a tasteful treat for B movie lovers. Director Micah Gallo ( who have done visual effecs on films such as Hatchet and Hatchet 2 ) have managed to bring back the 90´s all over again, with a spider horror film that actually knows what the audience wants. If you enjoy this genre, you should pick up this film on DVD or Blu Ray as a Christmas gift, especially to someone you know hate spiders in your family.

Rating: DDD